When two fates tie together, love blossoms-ON HOLD-
by IamanAckerman
Summary: Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Jaeger were two ordinary college students. Except for the fact that their lives were chosen for them. The two had been arranged to get married. The two were absolutely terrified, but suddenly, they begin feeling something that they've never felt before. Modern arranged marriage au. Eremika. Requested by Shiranai Atsune. Please R&R! Critiques are welcome!
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys! Guess what? The other day, I got some requests from a wonderful person called '_ Shiranai Atsune!' _I have to thank them for this inspiration for this beautiful story idea. I absolutely HAD to write this._

 _I hope you all enjoy, and please. Make sure to check out_ Shiranai Atsune's _profile!_

 **Chapter one: Something unexpected**

 _What is love? It's something we all wonder at some point in life. What exactly is this feeling? Can you even consider it a feeling? I don't know. I don't think I'll ever know. All I know is love isn't a decision. It isn't something we can help. No matter how much you dislike it, we all love. Even if we hide it._

 _So, my advice for you is not to hide who you love. It'll just end up hurting you more._

It was a beautiful day in the city of Shiganshina. The sun shone through the curtains of houses all around. It was a quiet morning on a Saturday, so most were sleeping in. The city was very quiet, as a soft breeze went through town.

On the sidewalks, there was a girl. She looked as though she was about eighteen or nineteen. Her black hair was flowing softly in the cold wind, the same wind which would send chills up her spine.

Her dark blue eyes were looking down. She watched her feet make small steps, her boots clanking against the sidewalk.

It was winter. Her cold breaths could be seen as she exhaled.

Mikasa had something very important going through her mind. Six months. In six months she'd be doing the one thing that'd change her life forever.

And in two weeks is when she'd meet that someone that'd change her life forever.

Suddenly, Mikasa saw a fluffy black cat curled in a box. She looked over, looking in it's eyes. It looked the way she felt. Scared. Lonely. Sad.

Mikasa knelt by it, petting its head. It rubbed it's head against her hand. She then lifted up the affectionate cat, carrying it as she walked. It meowed softly.

She wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but she did know she wasn't leaving this cat out in the snow.

She began walking with it. That's when it hit her. Her friend's orphanage. Historia Reiss's orphanage. The kids there had been wanting a cat for a while now.

Mikasa's pace began quickening as she walked ahead. When she got to the end of the street, she turned right. Luckily, she had been close to the orphanage. Mikasa looked both ways and walked across the street.

She then opened the gate to the orphanage and walked up the brick trail that led to the front porch.

She knocked on the wooden door. The door swung open. Standing there was a girl with blonde hair that just passed shoulder length, and blue eyes.

"Oh…hey Mikasa," Historia greeted. Her eyes were soft.

"I haven't seen you in a while. Is there anything you need?"

"…Well…I heard you wanted a cat…" Mikasa said, handing it over. Historia looked shocked, and possibly even touched.

"Thank you, Mikasa," Historia said with a tiny smile.

"I hope the kids like it. I should go now," Mikasa said. She often visited the kids.

"Alright. Stay safe, Mikasa," Historia said before shutting the door.

Mikasa figured that she should head back home soon. More people were awakening, and Mikasa disliked being out when people begin waking up. She's never been a fan of crowds. People would often say she was introverted.

The eighteen-year-old began walking home. She neared an apartment complex. She owned the third one to the right. It was a small, red apartment.

She walked up the steps of her apartment. She reached into her brown purse, digging through it, but ending up unable to find her keys.

"Oh no…dang it," Mikasa said, turning, when her keys were handed to her. Mikasa blinked before looking at the one who had just given it to her. He had brownish-grey hair that was cut short, brown eyes, and a brown jacket.

"Um…you dropped those," he said, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Oh…thanks," Mikasa said.

"I, uh…I'm your next door neighbor. My name's Jean. Jean Kirstein," he said.

"Oh. I'm Mikasa Ackerman. Thanks for giving me my keys," Mikasa said, turning back around and unlocking her door, and walking in.

Jean blushed as he went down. She was very pretty.

Mikasa locked her door behind her, sighing. She took off her shoes and coat, and collapsed on her couch. Her house was made up of five rooms; the living room, the laundry room, the bathroom, the kitchen, and her bedroom. It wasn't the biggest house, but she was fine with it.

Mikasa sighed again, her hand on her forehead. It was quiet, almost sickeningly quiet. Mikasa's heart ached. She was so lonely.

Images began rushing through her head, giving her a headache.

Mikasa got back up, needing to move. She walked into her kitchen, pulling some vegetables out of the fridge.

' _Maybe I should see the doctor…these headaches keep getting worse…'_

And as she ate dinner that day, she knew that day wouldn't be any different from all the others.

Twenty miles away, Eren Jaeger was sitting on his parent's couch. They had called him over to their house, and Eren was confused why. They usually left the college student alone, so only something serious could be why he was over here.

His green eyes expressed confusion as he looked at his parents who were sitting right across from him. His mother's brown eyes and his father's green eyes which matched his own, were serious.

"Um, so, why did you call me here?" Eren asked, scratching his brown hair.

"Eren, we have something we'd like to tell you," Eren's father, Grisha, said. Eren's mother, Carla sighed.

"We should've told you this when you were younger, but we were foolish and didn't," Carla said. She tightened the strap that was holding her black hair into a ponytail.

Eren looked anxious.

"Well, just tell me what it is already!" Eren said. He had always been an impatient one.

"Eren…we've arranged a marriage for you," Carla said. Eren blinked, unsure of what he just heard.

"Wait, what?"

"We arranged a marriage for you. We've had it ready even before you were born. You'll meet your fiancée in two weeks at 'Sasha Restaurant' downtown," Grisha said. Eren's mouth dropped.

"You're joking," Eren stated simply. They shook their heads.

"But…wait…you can't just drop this on me now!" Eren said, unsure what to think. Carla sighed.

"We knew you'd be like this…" Carla said.

Eren's head was ringing. How could they? Didn't he get to choose his own wife? They couldn't just force this on him!

"How could you do this to me?! Isn't this my life?! I should be allowed to marry whoever I please!" Eren shouted.

"We know Eren, but we think it's best for you! We're your parents! We wouldn't do anything that'd hurt you!" Carla said.

Both of their eyes locked angrily.

Eren took a moment to breathe.

"Can I at least know her name?" Eren asked, not looking his parents in the eyes. He wasn't quite sure how to react quite yet.

"Her name is Mikasa Ackerman. She is also going to your college. I don't know if you've heard of her. She's eighteen years old," Grisha said calmly.

Eren felt as though he could scream. This was all so mind numbing. His parents had already chosen how his life was going to go without even asking him.

"Can I meet her parents?" Eren asked. Carla and Grisha looked down.

"They died about a year ago. They were murdered," Grisha said. Eren's anger suddenly faded away.

"…Murdered?"

"Yes. Mikasa's been living on her own for a while now. I heard she hasn't been doing too well," Grisha said.

Eren stood up.

"Please give me a minute…this is a lot to take in," Eren said before storming off into his old bedroom and locking the door.

How was he supposed to feel about this? He was going to be meeting a girl who he was going to marry in two weeks. A girl who's parents were murdered.

His head ached. Her name kept echoing through his head.

' _Mikasa Ackerman. The girl I've never met but I'm supposed to marry.'_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two: The scarf**

Eren was walking outside. Even though it was freezing out, Eren was sweating. He was unbelievably nervous.

It had been two weeks. Eren was heading to the place he was meeting Mikasa. The only thing he had to identify her was a picture.

Eren pulled his maroon scarf over his nose. He was walking quick, scared, but also strangely…anxious. He wanted to meet her.

Eren saw Sasha Restaurant up ahead. The building was made of red bricks, except for the roof, which was blue.

Eren froze when he saw her. She had short black hair and was wearing a grey coat.

But what captivated him were her eyes. They were beautiful blue orbs…but they looked so empty, sad, lonely, and…

Broken.

Eren moved forward, slowly walking. Mikasa looked up from a picture she was looking at. Eren saw her eyes widen when he saw her.

The two looked at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do or say.

After a minute of silence, Eren spoke up.

"Um…Hi. I'm Eren," Eren said.

"…I'm Mikasa…" Mikasa said, her voice extremely quiet. If the wind had been any louder, he wouldn't have been able to hear her.

"So, um, we should go inside. It's cold out," Eren said. He felt so foolish. He didn't know what in the world to even say.

Mikasa nodded. The two entered the building. The building smelled of hot coco and coffee.

They both sat down at a table for two, right across from each other.

The two were silent, once again unsure of what to say.

"So, I heard you're working to be a social worker," Eren said. Mikasa nodded, not looking him in the eyes.

"…What about you…? What do you want to do…?" Mikasa asked after a minute. She was being very quiet anytime she spoke.

"Uh, well, I'm not really sure…" Eren said. It was a good question. What did he want to do?

"Hello! I'm your waitress, Petra Ral!" a girl with orange hair and brown eyes and wa holding a notebook and pencil, said as she came up to them.

"What would you like today?" she asked.

"I'll have a white mocha," Mikasa said.

"And I'll have a hot chocolate," Eren said.

"Okay! Your orders will be here right away!" Petra said, turning and rushing off.

Eren looked back over at Mikasa, who was looking out the window. She had a nonchalant look on her face. That is, until you look at her eyes. Her eyes expressed…fear.

Eren understood why. Who wouldn't be scared? She knew almost nothing about him, and she was going to be his wife. What if he put loads of work on her? What if he was abusive? She didn't know what kind of person she was ending up with. She probably didn't even want to know. She probably just wanted to go home and live her life.

Eren felt his shoulders soften from their tense state.

"Hey…what do you like to do in your free time?" Eren asked. He wanted to get to know her. To make her less scared.

Mikasa looked over.

"…I usually just take walks or runs…anything that keeps me active," Mikasa answered. She wasn't looking him in the eye.

"What about you?"

"Honestly, I usually just hang out with my friend Armin. We're roommates at college," Eren answered.

"…So you live at college then?" Mikasa asked.

Eren nodded.

"What about you?"

"I live in an apartment…" Mikasa said. She actually seemed interested in the conversation.

"You do?"

Mikasa nodded.

"Here's your drinks," Petra said, setting them down.

"Thank you," Mikasa said, picking up her coffee and sipping it.

After swallowing, Mikasa let out a sigh. She sounded…sad.

The two were quiet for another few minutes. They simply drank their drinks, not really looking at each other. But it wasn't really a bad kind of silence. It was…peaceful.

Outside, the snow grew ever so much more, falling onto the pavement, rooftops, and roads, and landing on the windowsills of building all around.

The snow seemed to captivate Mikasa as she watched the flakes flutter down. All of them were beautiful and unique.

Mikasa's heart ached as memories of long days in the snow flooded back. Long days that she spent having snowball fights and building snowmen with her father, then going inside and having hot coco that her mother would make, before cuddling by the TV and the fire.

Mikasa looked down. It was a sad thought to think that those days were gone, and that she'd never get them back.

She couldn't say that she didn't resent them; the people who murdered her parents. She wasn't sure if she'd ever forgive them. What did her parents ever do for them to deserve the pain they put them through such cruel death?

Mikasa felt a migraine come flooding in. She was constantly having stress headaches. Mikasa doubled over with her hands on her head as her head pounded. Eren suddenly panicked, unsure what to do. He stood up.

"Mikasa! Are you okay?" Eren asked. Mikasa looked up at him.

"Y-yeah…I'm fine…just got a headache," Mikasa said. Eren still looked worried, but he sat back down.

"You sure you're okay?" Eren asked after a moment. Mikasa nodded.

After they were done drinking, Mikasa ended up paying the bill.

The two walked outside. Eren saw that Mikasa was shivering.

"Well, um, it was nice to meet you," Eren said in a slightly awkward way. Mikasa nodded.

"Yeah…"

Mikasa began walking off.

Mikasa's sad eyes flashed through his head.

"Hey! Mikasa!" Eren called. Mikasa turned around.

"What is it?" she asked. Eren unraveled his scarf from around his neck, gently wrapping the warm materiel around her neck. Mikasa froze, surprised. The scarf actually felt…comforting.

"You can have this. It's warm, right?" Eren asked. Mikasa nodded.

"It is…" she said, her cheeks slightly pink.

"Well, um, I'll see you next time!" Eren said, turning and running off. Mikasa stood there, shocked at what just happened.

Her lips curved up ever so slightly. Not really a smile, but very close to one.

Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three: The wedding**

Mikasa was sitting on a wooden chair, looking down at the white dress that twirled around her body. She caressed it's soft materiel in her hands.

Historia was behind her, brushing her hair. She was wearing a pink dress.

"So he isn't a bad person?" Historia asked. Mikasa nodded.

"He's…better than my imagination of what I meant end up with. I've been meeting up with him every weekend. He's not cruel…If anything, he seems like a kind person," Mikasa answered.

"Well, that's good. It means that he probably won't try to hurt you. Just don't be afraid to call me if something does happen," Historia said. Mikasa nodded.

"Thank you."

Historia shook her head.

"Of course, Mikasa."

"So I'm guessing that you guys are gonna live in your house?" a girl with brownish-red hair and brown eyes, asked. She was wearing a brown dress.

"That's what we agreed on, Sasha," Mikasa answered.

"So, I'm guessing you two see each other as friends?" Sasha asked. Mikasa nodded.

"I can't deny that we've gotten close. He listens to me, and even understands me. Not a lot of people do," Mikasa said, looking down at her maroon scarf. She almost never took it off. It was something that was strangely…comforting to her.

Mikasa felt Historia begin to braid her hair.

"Oh Mikasa! You look so beautiful in that! Your groom must be very lucky!" a girl with black hair pulled up into pigtails, and a green dress exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Mikasa blushed slightly.

"Thanks Mina…"

Mina rushed over and handed Historia a crown of pink flowers and her veil.

"Have her wear this," Mina said. Historia smiled a little.

"Thanks."

Historia put them on.

"Sasha! Mirror!" Mina said. Sasha ran over with the mirror.

Mikasa looked in the mirror. Her long white dress and red scarf went beautifully together. Her veil flowed longer than her hair, reaching all the way down to the center of her back, while her pink flowers brought out the color on her face. Mikasa had told them that they were allowed to put makeup on her, but they had absolutely refused, telling her that she was more beautiful with her natural beauty, so her face was plain. Mikasa had refused to put on high heels, so she ended up with fancy black shoes.

All the girls smiled.

"Now take your flowers, Mikasa!" Mina said, handing over a bouquet red and pink roses.

Mikasa heard a violin beginning to get played.

"C'mon! We better get moving!" Mina said, grabbing Mikasa's hand and dragging her along.

Mikasa began sweating nervously. She was scared. Really scared. She had no idea what she was getting into.

Mikasa took a deep breath as Historia walked ahead, throwing flower petals. She looked down at a golden locket around her neck and gripped it softly, moving forward after Mina and Sasha.

Mikasa tried her best to ignore the crowds on both sides, since she really disliked crowds, but she knew that everyone's eyes were on her, which made her uncomfortable.

Mikasa looked at the stage, where Eren was standing. He was in a black tuxedo and a tie, standing at the end, looking even more nervous then she had ever seen him like. Standing by him was a man who was also wearing a tuxedo, had long shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes, and was smiling. Mikasa assumed this was Eren's roommate, Armin.

Mikasa walked up on stage. The two looked at each other. Both their faces were red, very red, but were also scared.

The music finished. The priest spoke up.

"Ahem! We are gathered here today for the wedding of Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman," he said. Mikasa really wished he'd slow down. She had a lot to think about.

"God has decided that these two shall spend eternity forever. He used his string that he uses to weave the world, and tied the two's fates together. Although this marriage is arranged, it doesn't mean that the two can't love each other, even if it takes time. Because, as God says…'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.'" He said.

"Eren Jaeger…do you promise to take Mikasa Ackerman as your lovely wedded wife, take care of, and care for Mikasa Ackerman, protect her through sickness and health, until your last breath?" he asked.

Eren swallowed, prepared for this. He would do it for his parent's sake. For Mikasa's sake. Even for Mikasa's parents sake, even if they may never know.

"Y-yes…I do."

"Well then. Mikasa Ackerman, do you promise to take Eren Jaeger as your lovely wedded husband, take care of, and care for Eren Jaeger, protect him through sickness and health, until your last breath?"

Mikasa looked down at her locket, clenching it hard and taking a deep breath.

 _'Look Mom…look Dad…I'm doing what you wished for.'_

"I do."

"Alright. May God forever bless this day. You may kiss the bride."

Eren took Mikasa's hand, pulling her towards him slowly, even hesitantly. Mikasa closed her eyes, relaxing and allowing him to pull her towards him.

Their lips locked for a small brief moment. It was a warm and tender kiss, also known as both of their first times.

They were probably locked together for longer than they had reckoned for, but were fine with it as they pulled away.

"Ring bearer. The rings."

A little girl from Historia's orphanage was the ring bearer. She handed them each other's rings with a smile.

"Alright. Now put them on one another."

They did as instructed.

The crowd cheered. Eren looked over at his parents, who were smiling at him, almost apologetically. Eren smiled a little back, which seemed to lighten their spirits.

Mikasa looked down sadly. She wished her parents were here to see this.

And as the celebration began, the two knew their lives were going to change forever.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four: The life of a new couple**

 _ **Warning! The flashback in this chapter may be slightly graphic!**_

The door to Mikasa's apartment swung open. She stepped in, slipping her shoes off.

"…Put your stuff wherever," Mikasa said. Eren had two boxes of stuff.

"Okay," Eren said, feeling awkward. It was strange to move into the house of a girl whom you'd only known for six months.

Mikasa went to her room and locked the door. She slipped out of her wedding dress, hanging it in the closet, and changing into pajamas.

When Mikasa left the room, Eren had already begun packing. He was in kitchen putting his dishes away.

Mikasa walked to the couch and sat down, tired. It was embarrassing to admit that she was scared to relax, because she knew nothing of what would happen if she let her guard down. It just felt…terrifying.

Eren turned, looking over at Mikasa, who seemed to be fighting sleep. Eren finished packing before walking over and sitting down on the opposite side of the couch.

Mikasa looked over, her eyes weary. Eren knew he needed some way to assure her he wasn't going to do anything to her that could bring her physical or physiological harm.

"Um…listen. If you'd like, I'll sleep on the couch tonight. You can sleep in your bedroom," Eren said, scratching his head. Mikasa instantly looked surprised.

"Uh…well…yeah…if you really don't mind," Mikasa said, quite unsure.

Eren nodded.

"I'm okay with it."

Mikasa's shoulders relaxed.

"Thank you, Eren."

Eren shook his head.

"I just want to make sure that you're okay," Eren said.

Mikasa got up and walked to her bedroom, shutting the door, but decided not to shut it completely.

Mikasa slipped her locket off and set it on her bedside.

She turned off all lights except for a nightlight, which she usually slept with on, and climbed into bed, pulling her warm blanket over everything except her head.

Mikasa let out a soft yawn, before closing her heavy eyes, drifting into sleep.

Out in the living room, Eren finished packing. The only thing left was his clothes, which he'd unpack tomorrow.

Eren went and got changed in the bathroom before slipping into Mikasa's room to check on her. She had fallen asleep almost immediately, but had kicked her blanket off in her sleep, so was shivering. Despite it being summer, it still got cold at night. Eren walked over quietly, lifting up the blanket and moving it back onto her.

Mikasa turned in her sleep, gripping the blanket in her hands and sighing.

Eren's eyes were soft as he looked at her. He had a lot of care for her. He was going to start this relationship with friendship. To do that, he needed her trust. He figured that even though they were married, it didn't mean that he couldn't go through this like a ordinary relationship.

Eren slipped out of the room, pushing the door back the way she originally had it, before going out to the couch. He brought out a blanket he had packed and his pillow, and made the couch into a comfy bed. He turned off all the lights before lying down and falling asleep.

When Eren awoke, it was to cries. Eren moaned, looking around. It was still the middle of the night.

Eren realized, his heart sinking, that the cries were coming from Mikasa's room. He got up, rushing over and pushing the door open.

Mikasa was tossing and turning, her body soaked in sweat as tears slipped down her cheeks. She was crying out in her sleep, and seemed to be trembling.

Eren rushed over, softly touching her shoulder.

"Mikasa! Mikasa!" he said urgently, shaking her gently.

Mikasa's eyes snapped open, her breathing hard. She looked up at Eren, unsure what to say.

"E-Eren…"

"Hey. You okay? You looked like you were having a nightmare," Eren said. Mikasa felt tears slip down her cheeks once again.

"I…well…I'll be fine…I have them a lot," Mikasa admitted, wiping her eyes with her hands.

Eren's eyes expressed worry.

"If you're sure…but…if you need anything…I'll be right out there," Eren said. Mikasa nodded.

"Thank you…" she whispered, pulling her scarf over her nose.

She was lucky. Eren woke her up right before the worst part of all her dreams, which was also the part that usually gave her horrible migraines.

"But, before I go…do you think you'll be able to fall back to sleep?" Eren asked. Mikasa took a minute to think.

Mikasa shook her head.

"…I usually don't really sleep that much…" Mikasa admitted. Eren sighed.

"Mikasa…listen…if you want, I can stay here," Eren said. Mikasa shook her head.

"No, its okay. Go get some sleep," Mikasa said. Eren hesitantly began to walk away.

"Okay…but if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Also…try to sleep if you can," Eren said, walking out and shutting the door.

Mikasa sighed, putting a hand on her forehead. How could she sleep with these memories flooding through her head again?

Mikasa was seventeen. She had just come home from school, and was walking up the steps to her home.

She pulled out her keys, unlocking the front door. She shut the door behind her, slipping off her boots.

"I'm home!" Mikasa called, setting down her purse.

"Welcome home, sweetie!" Mikasa's mother said, walking up to her. Her black hair was only slightly longer than Mikasa's, and was pulled up in a ponytail.

Mikasa smiled.

"Your father has hot chocolate made out in the living room," she said softly.

The two walked to the living room. There was Mikasa's father, sitting on the couch. He had light brown hair, and was wearing a smile on his face.

Mikasa walked over and sat down next to him. He looked over, his brown eyes soft.

"Welcome home. How was your day at school?" he asked.

"Same as always. Nothing too interesting happened," Mikasa said simply, taking a sip out of her hot coco.

"Mm…well, I'm glad you made it home safely. The snow really is coming down hard."

Mikasa nodded.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Everyone's heads turned to the door.

"Hmm…who'd be here in this weather?" Mikasa's father wondered as he walked over to the door. He opened it.

 **BAM!**

He fell backwards, gripping his stomach, which had been shot. He collapsed to the ground, dying as he fell.

Standing at the door was three men, all holding guns. Mikasa stood there, horrified.

Suddenly, Mikasa's mother grabbed her hot drink and charged at them, pouring it on them.

"AAA! You little-"

"Mikasa! Run!" her mother cried. Suddenly, one of the men shot her in the chest. Mikasa's mother froze, blood dripping as she collapsed to the ground.

"AAA! I thought we said only to kill the dad!" one of them said, panicked.

"She attacked! What was I supposed to do!?"

"C'mon, let's get out of here!" they said as they heard sirens approaching.

When they ran out, they were caught by the police, and an ambulance came rushing in.

Mikasa put her hand on her head, getting a head splitting migraine at the memory. She doubled over, feeling as though she could scream. She moaned, crying out in pain as she stumbled up and walked towards the exit of the room. She needed to get water, medicine…something to stop the pain.

When she exited the room, Eren saw her. He stood up, seeing the pain written all over her face.

"Mikasa? Are you okay?" Eren asked worriedly.

"My head…is killing…me…"

Mikasa suddenly swayed before she blacked out from the pain.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five: Bonding**

When Mikasa awoke, she was lying in bed. There was a warm washcloth on her head, and a glass of water on her table side, along with a bottle of her pills that helped headaches.

Mikasa sat up, taking the washcloth off of her forehead. It was morning.

Mikasa remembered having a migraine that night. She assumed she must've blacked out from the pain.

Then…Eren must've done all this for her.

Mikasa felt…touched. She must've really worried him.

Mikasa slipped out of bed, heading out of the room. Eren had even shut the door for her.

When she came out, she smelled eggs. Mikasa saw that Eren was in the kitchen cooking. When Eren saw her, his eyes turned to worry.

"Mikasa! Are you okay? You blacked out last night," Eren said. Mikasa nodded.

"I'm fine now. Thank you for taking care of me," Mikasa said. That's when their wedding flashed through her head.

 _"Eren Jaeger…do you promise to take Mikasa Ackerman as your lovely wedded wife, take care of, and care for Mikasa Ackerman, protect her through sickness and health, until your last breath?"_

 _"I do."_

"Is your head okay? You had a really bad migraine," Eren said. Mikasa nodded.

"I'm fine now. Thanks for worrying about me," Mikasa answered quietly, sitting down at the table.

When Eren had finished cooking, he gave her a plate.

"Thank you," Mikasa said, taking a bite.

Eren shook his head.

"It's nothing."

The two ate in silence, not really knowing what to say, but not really needing to say anything.

Eren looked at Mikasa as she ate, examining her. He couldn't get the image of her crying and drenched in sweat, struggling in her sleep, out of his head.

At that moment, he honestly wanted to hold her. To comfort her. She had looked so weak and fragile. He couldn't stand seeing her like that.

Eren seemed to have a special place in his heart for this girl.

Eren looked back down and continued to eat.

Mikasa looked up at Eren. He kept being so caring. So gentle. He also had avoided invading her personal space as often as he could. He was…respectful to her.

She knew that he was trying hard to build a relationship with her. She truly admired that.

Eren looked up, feeling her eyes on him, and their eyes met.

Mikasa took a deep breath.

"Eren…thank you."

Eren looked confused.

"What for?"

"Well…if I'm going to be honest…I've been pretty scared. I had no idea what kind of person I was going to end up with…and that was terrifying. I was scared that I'd end up with somebody who'd try to move too fast…or someone who didn't care about me…I was even scared of ending up with someone abusive…but you've been trying hard to make me feel safe, and not to be any of those things…and I wanted to thank you for that," Mikasa said.

Eren smiled slightly.

"Well…why wouldn't I be like this? I'm scared too," Eren said. Mikasa smiled.

Mikasa knew she had gotten better things then she had been preparing for.

The month flew by. Eren and Mikasa spent time trying to know each other during this time. They learned each other's interests and favorite things by heart. They were best friends.

And Mikasa couldn't deny she enjoyed being with him. She wasn't so lonely anymore. She finally had someone who understood her.

So, one morning, Mikasa had awoken from a nightmare. She had awoken with a sickening scream that probably terrified all the neighbors, but terrified her husband even more.

Eren came running in, worry written in his eyes. His beautiful green eyes.

"E-E-Eren…" Mikasa said shakily.

"Are you okay?" Eren asked, clearly worried. Mikasa looked at her trembling hands, shaking her head.

Eren sat by her.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Mikasa shook her head.

"No…I-I'm fine…" Mikasa said, avoiding his gaze. It was actually hard not to look back at him.

"Mikasa…don't lie to me…you're not okay," Eren said, his gaze softening.

Mikasa looked down.

"I just…I just don't want…" Mikasa started, but fell silent.

"Don't want what?" Eren urged, and Mikasa sighed sadly.

"I just don't want to…to trouble you…that's all," Mikasa admitted, looking down.

She honestly felt like she was nothing more than an invasion to his life. She had been arranged to be with him. He didn't get to choose on his own. Honestly, she wondered if he'd be happier on his own.

Eren stared at her in shock, drawing back slightly in surprise.

"Mikasa…you don't trouble me. Even if you did, I'd still be here. You're a part of my life now, and you surely aren't leaving…so, I think it'd be better to get used to you. Besides…I'm not just going to leave you to suffer on your own," Eren said, and Mikasa looked up.

"Eren…"

"You're my friend now, Mikasa. And I'm not planning on changing that," Eren said, and a small smile painted Mikasa's face.

"Thank you."

And that night, something within Mikasa changed, and she knew that the way she saw Eren, would never be the same.

 _Sorry for such a long wait! Thank you for sticking with the story! I can promise a new chapter every other day from now on! Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed!_


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